Medical dressings and catamenial devices



March 13, 1962 A. F. LANE 3,024,788

MEDICAL DRESSINGS AND CATAMENIAL DEVICES Filed March 4, 1959 ANTHONY F. LANE INVENTOR.

BLAIR, SPENCER BUCKLES ATTORNEYS United States This invention relates to an improvement in medical dressings and catamenial devices, and the term sanitary appliances will be used hereafter in the specification and claims to include both medical dressings and catamenial devices.

More particularly the present invention relates to sanitary appliances that have an integral container attached to the absorbent portion of said devices which is adapted to enclose the absorbent portion of the devices after use and to be closed around said absorbent portion for convenient and sanitary disposal of said devices after use.

In the field of sanitary appliances, there exists a great need for convenient, sanitary, odor-free and pleasant disposal of such devices. The prior art devices are so constructed that no method of disposal practicable at the present time has met these needs. Toilet disposal has proved unsatisfactory since sanitary appliances having large absorbent portions often will catch in the water trap or clog other portions of the sewerage system and disposal, in this manner, is particularly injurious to septic tank systems. Disposal of such devices in the trash, although more practical then toilet disposal thereof, is not particularly sanitary nor pleasant and often leads to the generation of obnoxious odors. This is particularly true of the disposal in hospitals of sponges and bandages used in cases of certain diseases such as cancer. Disposal of catamenial devices in waste paper and trash baskets is embarrassing to many when the occasion arises for such disposal in public places.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide for the sanitary disposal of all sanitary appliances including absorbent medical dressings and catamenial devices. Another object of the invention is to provide sanitary appliances of the above character adapted to convenient disposal. A still further object of the invention is to provide sanitary appliances of the above character which are adapted to odor-free disposal. Still a further object of the invention is to provide sanitary appliances of the above character adapted to carefree unembarrassing disposal. Another object of the invention is to provide sanitary appliances of the above character adapted to efiicient disposal with trash or waste paper. Still another object of the invention is to provide catamenial devices of the above character requiring no additional elements for disposal thereof in the manner outlined above. A final stated object of the invention is to provide sanitary appliances of the above character which are conveniently alterable for packaged disposal.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relations of elements which will be exemplified in the articles hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention. reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of sanitary appliance embodying the features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the sanitary appliance of FIGURE 1 ready for disposal thereof;

atent O "ice FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a bandage or sanitary napkin incorporating the features of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a tampon incorporating the features of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section taken along the lines 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the disposal container of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view along the lines 77 of FIGURE 6.

Similar reference characters refer to similar elements throughout the several views of the drawing.

The present invention is generally directed toward providing sanitary appliances having integral disposal containers formed of plastic, rubber, wax paper or the like. The disposal containers are associated with wound dressings, sanitary napkins, tampons or the like'and are adapted to be drawn over the absorbent portion of such devices and closed for the sanitary disposal of the devices after they have been used.

More particularly, referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, a preferred form of sanitary napkin employing the features of the invention has an absorbent pad portion 20 and a fastening extension 22 at one end thereof, as is well known in the art. Rather than having another extension at the other end of the absorbent pad as in the prior art, there is instead a disposal container 24 of polyethylene plastic, wax paper or like material, preferably impervious to air, attached to one end of the pad 29. The con tainer 24 may be sewed to the covering of the pad 2% by the stitches 26. The container is sealed near the stitches 26 on the side away from the pad 20 along the seal 28 by any of the conventional sealing techniques known in the art. The outer end of the container 24 is turned back on itself and sealed along the seals 3% and 32. An opening 34 is made into the channel 31 thus formed and a drawstring 36 passes through the channel around the container 24. The extension 38 beyond the seal 32 may be made of any desired length and provides an area for the attachment of the napkin to a napkin belt. Another drawstring 40 is attached to the pad 24 near the stitches 26. The drawstring 40 passes through the inside of the container 24 before and during use of the napkin and after use it facilitates the pulling of the pad 20 into the container 24 which turns inside-out and covers the pad as in FIGURE 2. The drawstring 36 is then drawn tight closing the container 24 around the extension 22, or if desired the extension 22 may be inserted into the container 24 before tightening drawstring 36, and the napkin is then ready for sanitary and convenient disposal thereof. If desired, the device may be rolled up longitudinally with the extension 38 inside, and then so secured by tying drawstring 40 around the rolled device.

Referring to FIGURE 3, in another embodiment of the invention, a sanitary napkin or bandage is provided with an absorbent pad 42 and pad extensions 44 and 46 at opposite ends thereof which are adapted for application of the device as is well known in the art. A disposal container 48, before disposal of the device, surrounds the extension 46 and is stitched to the extension 46 by the stitches 50. A seal 52 closes the stitched end of the container 48. The open end 54 of the container 48 has a drawstring 56 associated therewith in a manner similar to the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2.. After use of the device, the container 48 is pulled over the absorbent pad 42 and closed by the drawstring 56 for the convenient and sanitary disposal of the device. Before use and disposal of the device, the container 4% is folded in accordion pleats, as shown in FIGURE 3, or in any similar manner, so as not to interfere with the normal operation of the device.

A tampon embodying the features of the invention (FIGURE 4) comprises a substantially cylindrical absorbent portion 58 having a withdrawal string 60 integrally attached thereto and exiting from one end thereof. During use a disposal container 62 surrounds the withdrawal string 60. This container is attached to the absorbent portion 58 in any convenient manner such as by sealing one end thereof around the withdrawal string at the seal 64. A drawstring 66 is associated at the open end of the container for closing the container after use. The withdrawal string 60 facilitates the drawing of the absorbent portion 58 into the container 62 and the inversion of the container 62 to surround the absorbent portion 58 after use. After the absorbent portion 5% has been drawn into the container 62 the drawstring 66 is pulled and the container closed and tied and it is then ready for disposal.

An alternative method of folding the container 62 is shown in FIGURES 6 and 7.

The various disposal containers of the present invention may be coated with antiseptic or antibiotic compounds to inhibit the putrification of their contents after disposal.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above articles, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A catamenial device or sanitary napkin comprising, in combination, an absorbent pad, flexible extensions extending from said pad for fastening said napkin in place for use, and a disposal container attached to one of said flexible extensions, said container being folded during use and being adapted to be opened and extended over and to enclose said pad after use for sanitary disposal of said napkin.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said container is sealed at the end thereof which is affixed to said napkin.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 including means for closing said container after it has been drawn over said pad.

4. The combination defined in claim 2 including a drawstring mechanism at the unsealed end of said container for closing said container after it has been drawn over said pad.

5. A catamenial device or sanitary napkin comprising, in combination, an absorbent pad, a flexible extension at one end thereof, an attached elongated flexible envelope at the opposite end thereof, and means for drawing said paid into said envelope for sanitary disposal of said napkin.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 in which said envelope is sealed at the end thereof which is attached to said pad.

7. The combination defined in claim 5 including means for closing said envelope after said pad has been drawn into said envelope.

8. The combination defined in claim 6 including a drawstring mechanism near the unattached end of said flexible envelope for closing said envelope after said pad has been drawn into said envelope.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 further defined by said envelope being of substantially frusto-conical shape, the smaller end thereof being attached to said absorbent pad.

10. A catamenial device of tampon comprising, in combination, an elongated absorbent portion, a drawstring attached at one end thereof, and a flexible container attached to said absorbent portion at the same end thereof as said drawstring, said container substantially envelopingsaid drawstring before use of said tampon.

11. The combination defined in claim 10 in which said drawstring is adapted to draw said absorbent portion into said container after use of said tampon for sanitary disposal thereof.

12. The combination defined in claim 11 in which said container is sealed at the end thereof attached to said absorbent portion.

13. The combination defined in claim 11 including means for closing the open end of said container after said absorbent portion has been drawn into said container.

14. A catamenial device or tampon comprising, in combination, a substantially cylindrical elongated absorbent portion, a drawstring attached to one end of said absorbent portion, a flexible nonporous substantially frustoconical container attached to the drawstring and of said absorbent portion, said container being sealed at the end thereof attached to said absorbent portion and adapted to be drawn over said absorbent portion for disposal thereof and a drawstring at the open end of said container for closing and sealing said container after said absorbent portion has been drawn into said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,750,033 Pickens June 12, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3,024,788 March 13 w 1962 Anthony E. Lane It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered pat ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 7, for "paid" read pad line 43, for "and" read end Signed and sealed this 21st day of August 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G. JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Aligning Officer Commissioner of Patents 

